Expressive-touch action for organs and the like instruments



v v r .1. H COMPTON 1 'EJKBRESSIVI'I', TOUCH ACTION FOR ORGANS AND THELIKE; INSTRUMENTS Filed mg. 17 1921 1 a sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 16,1923.1,471,318

J. H. COMPTON BXPRESSIVE TOUCH ACTION FOR ORGANS AND THE LIKEINSTRUMENTS Filed 8- 17. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 16 1923. 1,471,318

J. H. COMPTON.

BXPRESSIVE 'rouca ACTION FOR one/ms AND THE} LIKE INSTRUMENTS Filed Au17. 1921 v a Sheets-Sheet 5 Fic.5.

Patented Get. 16, 1923.

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HAYWOOD COMPTON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

EXPRESSIVE IOUCH ACTION FOR ORGANS THE LIKE INSTRUMENTS.

Application flied August 17, 1921. Serial No. 493,090.

enmnn mm m rnovrsrons on THE Aer or MARCH 3, 1921. E1 srn. n, 1313.

. June 18, 1920), of which the followingis a s ecification. 1

he object of this invention is to P ovide a new and improved mechanismfor organs and the like instruments whereby the num- 1 her or selectionof pipes or other'sound producing, means operated by any key shall bedetermined by the force with which the key is struck by the finger ofthe performer, thus furnishing the organ with a key-board expressioncomparable with that of the pianoforte. Various devices with this objecthave'been proposed wherein hammers actuated by the keys in the manner ofa pianoforte operate directly on the pallet or pallet connections of thesoundin device. The present invention however as reference especially toelectric orelectropneumatic actions.

' In one known mechanism intended for use with actions of this naturethe key is jointed at one end to a weighted lever adapted to makecontact with one or more contact plates and close one or more electriccircuits according to the force with which the key is struck the varyingeffect being dependent upon the extent to which the inertia of theweighted lever extends a spring that normally supports it.

In another known type of mechanism for 4 the same purpose the varyingeffect depends again upon a weighted contact-making lever connected tothe key but in this case upon the momentum of the lever, and the extentto which the key throw it out of its normal position- I to one method, Iuse a hammer (operated by means of a train of mechanism in the manner ofa piano key action, or by other suitable My invention provides a greatlyincreased means) whichwhen the key is depressed diby closing one or moreelectric circuits, each of which is operatively connected with a soundproduclng means in the organ.

In one form of mechanism suitable for use in an electro-pneumatic organ,a manualkey when depressed operates the normal mechanism of the or an inknown manner. ()nthe free end of t e key is carried suitable means foractuating a pivoted hammer lever, which is tilted when the key isdepressed. The hammer lever is normally held up by the action of aspring on the end of the lever remote from the hammer head.

If the keyis depressed gently, the hammer head cannot be brought downbeyond a definite position, as any depression of the key beyond acertain point merely releases the hammer. If the key be more forciblystruck, the momentum of the hammer head will carry it lower, and it willthen displace the contact carrying lever, pivoted below it,

more or less in proportion to the force of the blow. The contact leveris pivoted, to move in the same vertical plane as thehampiece which isadapted to make electrical contact successively with a number of wires,each of which is connected wlth an electroof this contact lever theproportionate number of electrical circuits will be closed, and acorresponding number of note sounding means will be put in operation.The total volume of sound produced will therefore vary more or less asthe force with which the key is struck.

In order tocontrol the extent of the displacement of the contact leverunder the hammer blow I may use a spring friction device comprising aspring shaped to the arc of a circle and bearing on the free end of thecontact making lever and capable of being accurately adjusted inposition upon a fixed support, or I may mount the friction springs ofall the contact levers upon a common shaft capable of being rocked atwill to vary the displacement of mer lever and carries on its side acontact the contact lever by a-given hammer blow, or to hold the contactlever in a given position after displacement.

Suitable means are provided for raising the contact lever at will afterdepression (and without raising the key) without however bringing it out01' contact with all the circuits, but only so as to reduce the volumeof sound.

Instead of the hammer operating the contact lever by striking "itdirectly it may op erate it through a pneumatic device coriprising apallet adapted to be depr ed by the hammer and admit compressed air inquantity varying with the blow of the hammer to a wind motor which movesthe contact carrying element into contact with one or more contact wiresas before. An exhaust pallet, normally open, is closed on depression ofthe key and can he kept closed when required to give a sostenuto eiiectand prevent the motor deflating. Means are provided for increasing orreducing the supply of compressed air if desired after a key has beendepressed and so increasing or reducing the volume of sound.

All the movingparts are preferably of light construction and thus theinitial attack and repetition may be perfectly adjusted and the keytouch will be lig am. a able. 'lVi'th each contact lever may be associatcd a considerable number of contact wires and thus a very largerange of expression is possible.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a complete expressive touchmechanism for one key.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the hammer actuating means but in theposition it occupies when the manual key is fully depressed.

Fig. 3 is a view of an alternative form of the spring device forcontrolling the extent of movement of the lever carrying the contactplate.

Fig. e is a view of a pneumatic device suitable for use in conjunctionwith the new hammer action.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view showing how the varying contact isformed.

Referring to Fig. 1 a is the usual manual key maintained in itsnormalposition by aspring Z) and adapted when depressed to 0p erate anysuitable note sounding mechanism not shown. At the rear end of key a isan Lshaped jack (Z pivoted at e in known manner and held with its lowerend against stop and so disposed as to engage with one of its endsbeneath a projection f on the hammer butt 9.

When the key a is depressed jack (Z is lifted together with hammer butt9 so that the hammer head It is moved in a downward direction.

The parts are so adjusted that when the key (I, is depressed past acertain point the Ii ck (X will escape past the projection f on hammerbutt g in a similar manner to the corresponding parts of a piano action,thus allowing the parts to assume the relative positions shown in Fig. 2where the jack escaped and moved to the right against the spiral springReverting to Fig. l is a lever pivoted at itand carrying a contact plate1 adapted to engage successively the contact wires: mun. m etc, when therear end of the lever j is epresscd by the stroke of the hammer iead a.The contact vircs m, m. etc, and he electric circuit connectors aresuitably oined to the elcctro-pneumati note soundng member P in theorgan as shown in Fig. 1. V

The extent of depression of the lever j and con'sequentl} the number oicontact wires engaged, will vary with the force of the blow.

it is a movable bar operated by pedal or other suitable means. adaptedto move up wards and to move lever towards its normal position andconscquentl to diminish the volume or" sound either gradually orsuddenly while the key is kept in the dcprcscsd position. 0 is a studattached to the key a. its oflice being to restore lever y to its normalposition when the key is released.

g is a spring mounted on a fixed support 02 which by friction againstthe end. of lever will govern the extent of its downward travel. Analternative arrangement for this purpose is shown in Fig. 3 in whichspring g is attached to a shaft r (common to all the springs (1) adaptedto be rotated by means of a pedal or other suitable device whereby thepressure of the springs 0 upon 'The hammer actuating mechanism is asabove described but the hammer head it instead of directly striking thecontact lever strikes a stud 8 operatively connected with a pallet t ina chamber 6 containing compressed air which pallet is normally held by aspring 11. in a position closing the air channel o.

\Vhen stud s is struck by the hammer head it compressed air is admittedby the momentary displacement of pallet t to the channel o and motor wcontained in chamber 7 of the key.

when raised by suitablemeans closes all the and the amount of airsoadmitted will'vary with the force of the hammer blow.

j is the contact lever attached to the mo tor w and carrying-contactplate Z. Lever j is normally held in the position shown by a spring in.On air entering channel 1/ and motor w lever j is depressed andelectrical contacts are made to a greater or less number according tothe amount of air admitted by pallet t and the consequent inflation ofmotor co. a

3 is an exhaust pallet from motor 10, normally raised, but lowered bythe'deprmsion 2 is a sostenuto rail which exhaust pallets 1/ thus"preventing the immediate exhausting of the motors to even when theirrespective keys are released.

2 and 4 and 3 and 5 are valves and regulating screws therefor wherebythe volume of sound'may be increased or'decreased the lever j will befurther depressed and the number of electrical contacts and conse uentlythe volume of sound increased.

en it is desired to decrease the volume of sound valve 4 is opened andcompressed air allowed to escape from motor w by channel o even thoughthe key is not released and the pallet y is still closed.

Instead of using a hammer member h I may arrange the movable contactcarrying member 7' so that it is moved directly by the inner end of themanual key; in this case also the contact member 7' will be displaced toa greater or less extent according I key to be struck by said hammer andform a varying contact with said control mechanism, depending upon therapidity with which the key mechanism moved before the release of saidhammer.

2. A musical instrument having sound producing means, an operating keymechanismpa control for said sound producing means, a hammer supportedindependently of said key mechanism but having engage ment therewith, amovable member upon release of said hammer from said key to be struck bysaid hammer and form a varying contact with said control mechanism, .de-

which the operating mechanism moved be fore the release of said hammer.

.4. In a musical instrument having sound producing means, thecombination with'a key mechanism, a plurality of electric controlsassociated with said sound producing means, a trip hammer engaging saidkey mechanism and adapted upon release therefrom to strike said leverand bring the latter into varying contact with said sound producingmeans. A

5. A musical instrument having in combination a key mechanism, a supporthaving a hammer pivot-ally secured thereto, said hammer normallyengaging said key mechanism, a lever pivoted to said support beneathsaid hammer, said lever provided at one end with a contact plate, afixed support below said lever, a plurality of contact members extendingthrough said fixed support to form a varying contact with said contactplate when the lever is struck by said hammer. V

6. A musical instrument having in combination a key mechanism, a supporthaving a hammer pivotally secured thereto, said hammer normally engagingsaid key mechanism, a lever pivoted to said support beneath said hammer,said lever provided at one end with a contact plate, a fixed supportbelow said lever, a plurality of contact members extending through saidfixed support to form a varying contact with said contact plate when thelever is struck by said hammer, and means projecting from said fixedsupport for regulating the downward movement of said lever.

7. A musical instrument having in combination a key mechanism, a supporthaving a hammer pivotally secured thereto, said hammer releasablyengaging said key mechanism, a lever pivoted to said support beone endwith a contact plate, a fixed support below said lever, a plurality ofcontact port to form a varying contact with said contact plate when thelever is struck by said hammer, springs in said fixed support to limitthe downward movement of said lever and means between said lever andsaid fixed support for returning the lever to its normal position,

8. A musical instrument of the class described having in combination asupport, a hammer pivot-ally secured to the top of said support, a leverpivoted to the bottom of said support having a contact plate at the endthereof. a fixed support below said lever provided with a plurality ofcontactmembers, to bebrought into varying contact with said contactplate when the lever is struck by said hammer,

9. A musical instrument having in combination a key, a jack pivoted tosaid key, a support having a hammer pivotally secured thereto. saidhammer normally engagingsaid jack, a lever pivoted to said support andprovided at. one end with a contact plate, a fixed support below saidlever having a plurality of contact members, and means upon depressionof said key for tripping said jack and actuating said hammer for forminga varying contact between the contact plate and the contact member forthe purpose specified.

10. A musical instrument having in com bination a key, a pivoted memberpositioned to be turned about its pivot by the depression of the key,with varying rapidity according to the rapidity with which the key isdepressed, a plurality of fixed contacts, a movable contact memberpositioned to be struck by the pivoted member when the latter is turnedabout its pivot, and to be moved by the stroke of the pivoted member toan extent varying according to the rapidity of that stroke and makecontact with a varying number of the fixed contacts according to therapidity of the stroke of the pivoted member.

JOHN HAYWOOD COMPTON.

